WASHINGTON, March 20 (UPI) -- Two U.S. State Department contract employees lost their jobs for looking up Sen. Barack Obama's passport information without authorization.

A third person was disciplined.

A State Department official told NBC News that all employees are reminded whenever they log on to the computer system that the information is protected by the privacy act. Data is available on a "need-to-know basis."

The unauthorized activity occurred on three separate occasions beginning in January, and the most recent occurrence was March 14 NBC said.

"A monitoring system was tripped when an employee accessed the records of a high-profile individual," a State Department official said. "When the monitoring system is tripped, we immediately seek an explanation for the records access. If the explanation is not satisfactory, the supervisor is notified."

The Obama campaign issued a statement Thursday calling the incident an "outrageous breach of security and privacy, even from an administration that has shown little regard for either over the last eight years." The statement said the incident needs to be investigated and demanded to know "who looked at … Obama's file, for what purpose, and why it took so long for them to reveal this security breach."

Report: Several United planes grounded

CHICAGO, March 20 (UPI) -- United Airlines, based in Chicago, has temporarily grounded several of its Boeing 747 jets, a published report said Thursday.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the airline is checking to see whether the planes are in compliance with federal maintenance requirements.

As many as six 747 aircraft are affected, the report said. Sources told the newspaper the grounded planes had some of their cockpit instruments validated recently for international travel.

The Federal Aviation Administration reportedly ordered the temporary groundings after discovering that test equipment used at a maintenance station in South Korea was faulty, a source said.

Coalition forces kill seven, capture 20

BAGHDAD, March 20 (UPI) -- Coalition forces in Iraq killed seven terror suspects and detained 20 more in operations in northern and central Iraq, U.S. military officials said Thursday.

Among those killed were two men reportedly placing an improvised explosive device along a road just outside Samarra, north of Baghdad.

Forces also exchanged fire with a group of men in a vehicle believed to be associated with the two men planting IEDs, a military statement said.

Forces also conducted a raid in Baghdad and captured an alleged member of a network that supplies suicide bombing vests for attacks.

Cuba reconsidering travel restrictions

HAVANA, March 20 (UPI) -- Cuba is considering abolishing stringent laws dictating the travel of its citizens abroad, Granma newspaper reported Thursday.

Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said the leadership of the communist island may do away with the laws that require Cuban citizens to get government permission to leave or return to the island.

After assuming office last month, Cuban President Raul Castro said he would do away with some limits on travel for Cubans.